Music-leaf turner.



No. 896,609. PATBNTED AUG. ,13,"19o8.^

`D. P; BANFILL.

MUSIC LEAP TURNER.` ArPLloATIoN FILED JULY 2a, 1901.

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No. 896,609. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

D. P. BANPILL.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2s. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 896,609. PATLNTED UG. 18, 1908. D. P. BANFILL. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

DANIEL PALMER BANFIIJL, OF RICHMOND, MICHIGAN.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1907.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Serial No. 385,192.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL PALMER BAN- FILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Richmond, in the county of Macomb and State ofMichigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Music-LeafTurners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved music leaf turner adapted for use inconnection with a piano or other like musical instrument to enable theperformer to turn the leaves of the music without having to employ hishands for such purpose.

rThe said invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a musicleaf turner embodying my invention, showing the same arranged inoperative position and employed in connection with the piano. Fig. 2 isa detail top plan view of a portion of my improved music leaf turner.Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view showing a portion of the tubular frame and the footactuated devices mounted in the lower portion thereof. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view showing one of the members of my improved musicleaf turner. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the backor base of the music leaf turner. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view ofthe same taken on the plane indicated by the line a-c of Fig. 6. Fig. 8is a detail perspective view partially in section.

ln the embodiment of my invention here shown, a base or backboard l isprovided of a suitable size to hold a piece of music when the same isopen and is adapted to be placed on the rack 'of a piano orother musicalinstrument and to be supported in an upright position on such rack. Suchback or base board is provided with longitudinal guide slots or grooves2 in its face which extend to its opposite ends and are provided withundercut walls which engage similarly shaped edges or plates 3 which areslidable longitudinally in such grooves and are provided on their outersides with spring clamping arms 4 which coact with such plates to formclamps for engaging the outer edges of the backs, covers, or outsideleaves of a music book or piece of music so as to hold such back orpiece of music in an open position on such base or back board l. Suchclamps being Yslidablel longitudinally in the grooves 2 are adjustableto accommodate them to music books, sheets or pieces of various sizes.

A frame 5 which is rectangular in form is also provided, The said frameis of such size as to enable it to be tted on the front of the piano orlike instrument, as shown in Fig. l. The upper side of said frame issecured to the lower side of the back or base board l, the latter beingmidway between the ends of said frame. The bottom, top and ends of theframe are tubular, as shown in detail in Fig. 4. The tubular bottom barof the frame is provided at a suitable distance from one end, preferablyits left end, with a casing 6 which rises from its upper side and inwhich is secured a non-revoluble horizontally disposed axle 7 on whichis mounted a number of foot actuated revoluble devices S, 9, l0 and ll,which are here shown as wheels or disks, each provided on its upperperipheral surface with a roughened tread portion l2. A On one side ofeach of the said foot operated devices is a gear segment 13 engaged by apinion 14 on a vertically disposed drum shaft l5, said shafts havingtheir bearings at their upper and lower ends, respectively, in openingsin the top of the casing 6 and in the bottom of the tubular bottom barof the frame. In the corners of the said tubular frame are directionsheaves or pulleys 16.

On the center portion of the back or base board 1 are mounted aplurality of shafts 17, 18, 19 and 20 which are tubular and are nestedone within another and are respectively provided at their lower endswith pulleys 2]., 22, 23 and 24. Any desired number of such shafts maybe provided and the same is also true as to the foot operated deviceshereinbefore described, one of such foot operated devices being employedin connection with each of such shafts. Any suitable number of operatingcords are also provided, said cords being endless, passed around thesides of the frame within the tubes forming such frame, engaging thedirection elements 16 and each being partly wound on one of the drumshafts and partly wound on the pulley of one of the tubular shafts sothat when any one of the. foot operated devices is partially turned,rotary motion vwill be imparted to the drum shaft geared thereto andsuch drum shaft will cause the cord connected thereto to be pulled inone direction or the other, such cord by engagement with the pulley onthe tubular shaft serving to turn such tubular shaft in one direction orthe other, as will be understood. The said cords are for the purposes ofthis specification respectively indicated at 25, 26, 27 and 28. An arm29 is attached to and carried by each of such tubular shafts. Such armseach constitute a frame having an inner member 30 connected to suchtubular shaft by bars 31 and an outer frame 32 having tubular portionswhich receive the upper and lower arms of the inner frame, so that suchouter frame is adjustable longitudinally with respect to the inner frameto accommodate itself to the size of the leaves of the piece of music.Each of-the said arms has its outer frame or member provided with aclamp 33 to engage the outer edge of the music leaf and secure the samethereto. The tubular shafts are provided with openings 34 in one sidethereof to clear the bars 31 of the other shafts so that each of thesaid tubular shafts with its leaf turning baris adapted to be turnedindependently of the other shafts.

The performer by placing his foot on the foot operated devices andmoving the same in the required direction may cause the leaves of thepiece of music to be turned in succession from time to time as required,thus leaving his hands free to operate upon the keys of the instrument.

To keep the back of the music book or sheet from coming in contact withthe outer tubular shaft 20, is provided fenders 35 which are secured onthe front side of the base or back board l and extend across such outertubular shaft.

I do not desire to limit myself with the exact construction, andcombination of devices herein shown and described, as it will be seenthat modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is zl. A music leaf turner, comprising a base,a plurality of shafts mounted thereon and disposed one within another,each of said shafts having a leaf-engaging arm and provided with apulley, endless cords respectively engaged and partly wound on suchpulleys, direction elements for such cords, foot operated devices, drumshafts on which such cords are respectively partially wound and gearingsconnecting each of such drum shafts with one of said foot operateddevices, substantially as described.

2. A music leaf turner comprising in combination with a leaf turningdevice having a pulley, a frame on which such leaf turning device ismounted, said frame having tubular portions, operating cords for theleaf turning devices mounted in such tubular portions of the frame, footoperated devices mounted on such frame and drum shafts for therespective cords geared to such foot operated devices.

3. In a music leaf turner, a plurality of tubular shafts disposed onewithin another and cach having means whereby it may be turned, andfurther provided with a leaf e11- gaging member and a slot or opening inone side to clear the leaf engaging members of the other tubular shafts.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature in presence of ,twowitnesses.

DANIEL PALMER BANFILL.

IVitnesses:

HENRY J. HARMAN, VALDREN GEACH.

